Morning journal and courier., 1887-12-09
EVEN, CONN, FRIDAY MORNING. DECEMBER 9, 1887.

the naval port on the Pacific, is making prog ress. Communication is already established with Ekaterinburg, and line to Tiumen is in progress. That covers only about one third of the distance, that an enormous territory has still to be crossed. The pro- jected trunk line will proceed from Tumen to Tomsk and thence to Irkutsk, the capital of eastern Siberia, and next to Strelinsk on the Amoor. The route will then be for distance by water, and finally Vladivostock will be reached by another length of line. The work of construction will be carried on from both ends, and contracts have been en- tered into to convey material to the Pacific port as soon as survey which is at present in progress is completed. The line will be of immense advantage in developing the re- sources of Siberia, and it will enable travellers to cross from the Pacific to St. Petersburg in something like fifteen days.
 There is spinsters' insurance company in Schleswig which gives shelter, board and pin money to the single lady members of well-to-do families. At the birth of girl the father enters the girls name in the books of the company, and pays a certain sum every year. If when his daughter reaches her tWenty-fourth' year she is still unmar- ried, she is entitled to certain income and to couple of furnished rooms in 8 house belonging to the company. The house is handsome ons, with g fine garden att tached to it. If the father dies before his daughter attains her twenty-fourth year, the girl enjoys the same privileges. In case she dies or marries all her rights are forfeited and the money paid in reverts to the com~ pany. These chances enable the company to make the provision named, while parents have the satisfaction of knowing the future of their daughters to be secured in case of the dsath of their natural providers.
 President Cleveland mentions wool only as an illustration of the articles on which the duties might be reduced with the desired effect of diminishing the revenue, but says nothing of sugar. Says the Worcester Spy: The duties collected on wool last year were little less than six million dollars. The duties on sugar for the game year amounted to 6 little more than ffty-eight millions. Sugar is a necessary of life, too, and many work ingmans family spends more for it every year than for four. But the Louisiana planters, few hundred in number, who re- csive the benefit of this duty, are Democrats to man. Therefore the sugar duties do not seem to the President to offer desirable op- portunity for reducing the revenue. If the Democratic party should declare itself in fa- vor of repeal of the sugar duties it would lose the State of Louisiana, and it cannot afford to run any risk of that sort.
 To the victors belong the spells. Public office is public trust. When General Clark was elected clerk of the house he immediate ly informed the experienced journal clerk, Henry Smith of Michigan, that his services would not be longer required. MT. Smith was very much surprised and so were the members of the house, who have regarded him as remarkably efficient officer The reasons General Clark gave to the dismissed official were that Don Dickinson of Michigan, the new postmaster general, has complained that Nr. Smith was instrumental in securing the defeat in the senate of Powers, who was nominated to be justice of the United States court in Utah, and that he had criticised Dickinson for his course in Michigan poli- tics, and that Dickinson wished to have him removed. Afr. Smith is known in all pariia- mentary countries as an authority on inter national law. The speaker of the house of commons has frequently corresponded with him on points of parliamentary law. Nr. Smith is now engaged in an important work upon that subject